


Before the Dawn

by MAngel05



Series: After the Reaper War [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Control Ending, Death, Destroy Ending, F/M, Hurt, Other, Synthesis Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 23:05:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1405912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MAngel05/pseuds/MAngel05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The end is here. The choices are before her, but are they the right ones? Can she really make a choice like this that could change everything, but could also take everything she loves away from her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ending?

**Chapter 1** : _Ending?_

* * *

**Location:** _Citadel_

**Date:** _May 20, 2187_

Faith had never imagined what death really would be like for her species. Yes, she'd seen the extinction of the Protheans, but it hadn't hit home until the reapers had attacked Earth. Khar'sharn, the batarian homeworld, had become nothing but dust in the wind when the Reapers had bombarded the world with, of all things, asteroids. After that single world was destroyed, she'd gained all of the council's help, from the volus sending medical help and temporary housing, to both turians and asari warships coming to Earth's aid. Legion had sacrificed his life so that the Geth could become fully sentient. The quarians had Rannoch back. The krogan had a cure to the genophage without Mordin having to sacrifice his life in the tower. She'd saved Grunt's ass, only to have to turn around and save the rachni queen once again, thus gaining another powerful ally. Jack had come through with a small biotic army to protect the soldiers on Earth who were at the front lines. The only thing or person that had been a constant trouble maker throughout this war hadn't actually been the Reapers, but the Illusive Man.

However, now wasn't the time to think of what had happened in the months that had led to this moment. The Catalyst had been the Citadel! Now, with it moved to the Sol System, by Cerberus no less, it would be moved into position for the Prothean weapon to be attached. That had been her and Anderson's job. They'd fought their way through the husks and only she and Anderson were aboard the Citadel, or so they had thought. The Illusive Man had come up behind them, tried to use mind control and indoctrination to force them to see it his way. However, just as he turned to shoot Anderson, Faith had gained some strength back and shot the Illusive Man in the chest, only grazing Anderson's side.

Anderson, losing all strength, had fallen to the floor. Looking up Faith saw the arms of the Citadel begin to open. Slowly sitting down next to Anderson, together they watched as Earth came into view.

"Earth... It's so beautiful..." were the Illusive Man's last words.

Finally, it's over...

"We did it," she stated simply, feeling the tension start to leak out of her body.

"Quite the view..."Anderson placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Best seats in the house," she added, and Anderson chuckled, before suddenly Faith focused on the land masses below her. The Citadel continued to turn, and England came into view. She sobered, and closed her eyes as her heart sank. She raised a finger to her ear, and tried to activate her team's personal com channel, but all she got was static. She closed it, and sighed, bringing a hand up to her face to rub her eyes, and her fingers came away damp. _Garrus,_ she thought and jumped slightly when suddenly her comm sprang to life again.

"Shepard. Commander!" Hackett's voice came through clearly. Anderson watched her as she took a step forward.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked standing, Anderson, too tired to stand, opted to remain sitting.

"Nothing's happening. The Crucible's not firing." She moved toward the console, dropped the pistol she'd been holding, and looked around. Nothing there seemed remotely related to the Crucible, and once again felt a bubble of panic as a distant ship exploded under Reaper fire."It's got to be something on your end." Another ship burst into flames."Commander Shepard!" Her fingers hovered over the holo-screen, hesitating.

"I don't see..." She was cut off when suddenly the floor platform she'd been standing on jerked, and started to rise upward."What the-?"

"Commander!" Anderson yelled, trying to desperately get to her, but failed.

It picked up speed, only to come to a stop a second later, causing her to stumble backward. Her hand shot out and grabbed a railing. When she was stable, she looked up, and covered her eyes against the bright light from...something. There was a bright flash, and as it faded, she carefully opened her eyes. She appeared to be outside, just below between the Citadel and the Crucible. She noticed something moving toward her, and as she registered it, her eyes widened.

"Who are you?" She asked the ghostly boy who stood before her, the same boy that she'd failed to save all those months ago, back on Earth.

"I am the Catalyst."

She took a step forward."I need to stop the Reapers. Do you know how I can do that?" she stated as yet another ship exploded above them, her resolve set and goal clearing her head. But as he continued, explaining his relationship to the Reapers and the order of the Galaxy, she felt equal parts of outrage and confusion build within her.

"But we found a way to restore order for the next cycle." The boy turned and walked toward the center of the platform, which contained a beam reaching up toward the Crucible above.

"By wiping out organic life?" she answered, the anger clear in her voice. They continued toward the light, stopping only when they reached a three way part in the platform. Shepard closed her eyes as the boy continued.

"We've created this cycle so that war between you and them never happens. That's the solution."

"But you're taking away our future," she stated softly."Without a future, we have no hope. Without hope," She opened her eyes again, and met the boy's, "we might as well be machines, programmed to do what we're told." The boy looked away after a moment.

"You have hope. More than you think. The fact that you are standing here, the first organic ever, proves it." Shepard looked over her shoulder, as another ship exploded before returning her gaze to the boy."But it also proves that my solution won't work anymore."

"So now what?" she inquired.

"We find a new solution," the Catalyst stated simply.

"But how?" Faith could feel the dread doubling in the pit of her stomach.

"The Crucible changed me. Created new... possibilities. But I can't make them happen."

"What, exactly, are my options?" she asked slowly.

"I know you've thought about destroying us... All you'd have to do is blow it up." As he said this he pointed to a console bathed in a red light.

"What happens if I destroy it?" Shepard whispered just lowly enough.

"You'd wipe out all synthetic life..."

"Including the Geth," she finished, her heart sinking for what felt like the millionth time as she remembered Legion's sacrifice.

"And most of the technology you rely on," he added, "Even you, Shepard, are partly synthetic."

"But the Reapers will be destroyed?" she asked finally, after taking a moment to consider.

"Yes, but the peace won't last. Soon, your children will create synthetics and the chaos will come back."

"Whenever that is, that's our problem. You don't have the right to do this to us against our will," she stated furiously.

"Or do you think you can control us?" he asked as he pointed to a blue console.

"So...the Illusive Man was right," she sighed.

"Yes, but he wouldn't have been able to take control. He was under our control." he paused."But it will kill you."

"But the Reapers would obey me? If I told them to fly straight into the center of the galaxy to be destroyed by the black holes, they would be forced to listen," she growled.

"Yes," the boy replied simply. "Or you could create a new DNA." He pointed to the center.

"Explain," she demanded.

"It would effectively make synthetics part organic and organics part synthetic," he explained.

"More or less like myself," she whispered.

"Yes," he answered.

It had all come down to this moment Shepard thought mildly. The small child holographic that was the Catalyst looked up at her, waiting for her to decide the fate of the galaxy. She had three apparent choices, control the reapers, combine organic and synthetic life, or kill the reapers and all technology associated with it. Looking out at the three walkways with their distinct glow of lights, Faith knew none were the way to go. Despite her traumatic injuries that would have had any mere mortal in a fetal position on the ground, she stood tall, defiant and met the holo's gaze for the last time.

"I choose none." Her voice was steady and cold fire danced in her eyes.

"You doom them all then, organics and synthetics can never be..." he began.

"That's bullshit and you know it!" she snarled."I've been chosen by my species to be the best, but while I may be the best, I am only human. The quarians and Geth put aside their differences and now fight together, as one, against the Reapers. They have their best fighting you. We all have our best fighters fighting for our inalienable rights to live!" She pointed her finger at him. "You think you have all the answers, but you don't. Go ahead, kill us, but you'll be fighting every single man, woman and child. Human, turian, asari, salarian, or whatever. We will fight until our last breath is taken." She paused. "We've done the impossible, or what you say is impossible. We have the Geth, a synthetic species, fighting with us and for once, they're not your slaves to control and that just pisses you off!" She smirked, her bloody face contorting into a victory smile.

"You do not understand," it said.

"No, you don't understand." She hobbled towards him. "Let me say it simply...Leave us the fuck alone!" She growled, knowing full well that Jack would've been smiling at that speech.

"Is...that...your choice?" it asked with uncertainty.

"Yes, we want you to leave and let us make our own choices. We don't need you to play big brother." She groaned as she suddenly felt weaker. "Let us make our own mistakes. Let us live the way we want to. You are not needed and never will be."

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "Choice made, but is it the right one?" he cocked his head towards her. "We shall see." A flash of light erupted from the child's being, consuming Faith in its brilliance. She felt as if her body was on fire, but at the same time she felt a sense of accomplishment.

It was over...


	2. Alive

**Chapter 2** : _Alive_

* * *

**Location** : _Earth's Orbit_

**Date** : _May 20, 2187_

"This is the SSV Normandy to ground team, over." Joker spoke into the comm connection to Faith and her team. "Come on, come on...somebody's gotta be alive," he mumbled as he looked at EDI's mobile platform. "I'm not getting anything, try another channel," he ordered her, which she began doing so as he swerved the Normandy out of the way of another Reaper beam. "Commander!" he yelled into the connection. "Somebody talk to me!"

"Stop...yelling," came a gruff, but welcoming voice.

"Garrus, damn it's good to hear from you." He sighed in relief. "What's your position?"

"Argh..." came a complaining moan. "I'm laying on my turian ass, as you'd put it. Can't feel my left side...need...medical help." He gasped.

"Where's the Commander?" he inquired as EDI began getting Dr. Chakwas on the line to go down for a medical pickup.

"Gone..." Garrus gasped, causing Jeff to pause for a second. "Gone...through the...beam..."

"I believe what Officer Vakarian is trying to say is that Commander Shepard is on the Citadel." EDI translated.

"Yeah," was the turian's reply.

"Right, you hang on Garrus, Chakwas and her team are on their way for a pickup," Joker relayed.

"Tali's..." Garrus began. "...hurt." he finished, his voice sounding hoarse.

"Can you see anybody?" Joker inquired as he weaved through ship debris and narrowly missed getting hit by another Reaper beam.

"Jack's down..." he gasped. "No husks...spirits...Grunt's down, as is...Javik?"

"Can't see that ugly Prothean falling down willingly," Joker joked, trying to keep the turian's attention.

"See a light.." Garrus whispered.

"Shit," Jeff cursed, if the turian was seeing a light, wasn't that bad? "Stay away from it! Shep will kill you if you die."

There was a chuckle. "Not...sure if..." Garrus' line went dead.

"EDI get me that line again!" he yelled as his own hands flew across the console, firing a thanix canon blast there, a guardian laser beam here, then blowing up a Reaper here and diving down away from a beam there.

"Unable to get a secure comm connection with Officer Vakarian," She reported thirty seconds later.

"Get me Anderson or Hackett...damn it!" he growled as he narrowly missed getting hit by an exploding Geth fighter ship.

"Jeff," EDI alerted him. "I am picking up a large EMP buildup coming from the Citadel and the Crucible."

Looking up, Joker gasped as an orb of pure energy resembling a white light burst from the open arms of the Citadel and surrounded the Earth and all of the Sol system. Suddenly several ships seemed to be being sucked towards the center point of the Citadel/Crucible firing mechanism and a beam of pure white energy passed through the system, hitting the Mass Relay and forwarding outward into space. "Holy..." he gasped.

"Jeff, the Reaper ships have stopped their attacks. They don't seem to be operating any longer." She paused. "I am unsure as to what is-" just as she was going to speak the Reaper ships began exploding, one by one until one very large Reaper was left and seen fleeing through the relay. Aboard the Normandy Joker could hear everybody cheering, for this was truly the end, wasn't it? "Medical team arriving. Chakwas reporting Officer Vakarian is extensively injured and is asking for assistance from myself and Dr. Solus."

"Go!" Joker ordered her. "Come in Anderson, do you hear me Admiral?"

"Here...y-you Flight Lieutenant," was his reply. "What's going on out there?"

"Reapers are done for, whatever you guys did up there, it's working!" he yelled excitedly.

"Excellent, what's the word on the grou-" The connection broke up as suddenly the Crucible broke away from the Citadel and began a freefall into Earth's atmosphere, breaking up on it's way down.

"Shit!" was Joker's only response.

* * *

**Location** : _Earth / Texas_

**Date** : _May 25, 2187_

The day after the Reapers had either exploded or left Earth, humanity and its allies had begun the clean-up. It was decided that Earth was as good a place as any other planet. Humans, turians, asari, and even quarians and geth had begun landing on nearby ports and helping with the clean-up of dead bodies, finding the injured, and taking care of homes that were burning. That was happening by the end of the first day. By the third day the volus, hanar, and erelong had begun appearing and building new hospitals, temporary homes, and taking down the missing's names. By the fifth day, they'd begun clean-up around where the Crucible had fallen. During this day a discovery was made. A single female human body was found. She wore an N7 armour set, which was tinted black from being burnt upon re-entry, but what was amazing was that despite her second and third degree burns, she was breathing and very much alive.

* * *

**Location** : _Earth_

**Date** : _Unknown_

Pain was the first thing Faith felt, undying pain. A part of her mind knew that if she was in pain, she was alive. Pain also meant she still needed to fight, but fight what? Next, as she opened an eye, she found she was blinded by light. Groaning, she tried to cover her face with her arm, but couldn't seem to gather up the strength to lift her arm. Upon trying again she found her arms, neither would move. Panic set in. Her left eye opened right away, giving her a view of the left side of the room. She found herself in a white room with her body in a full body cast. The heart monitor was going off as her heart was still in panic mode. Turning her head she came face to face with one man she could always trust. ' _Garrus,'_ she thought. The turian had his left leg in a cast and his right wrist in a wrapping. To top things off he was leaning his head against the wall as he slept. Her heart calmed down at the sight.

She scanned his body to see if he had any other damage, but didn't see anything. Beyond him was a window with the curtains open. As a fresh wind blew the fabric, she could see the sun was rising. She smiled as she inhaled the fresh air. Turning her head slightly she caught her eyes with that of the now awake turian. "Hi," she whispered

"Hi," he replied as he leaned forward towards her. "You know, if you didn't want to come back to me, there are easier ways to break up than a freefall into Earth's atmosphere."

She chuckled. "Oh don't joke Garrus," she groaned as a pain in her side flared up.

Sighing, he took her hand into his. "Don't scare me like that again, sweetness," he whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Didn't mean to," she whispered tiredlessly. After a moment, he pulled away and leaned back into the chair. "How bad do I look?" she questioned.

He sighed. "You have third degree burns on the left side of your body, second degree burn splotches on your right side, your left arm is broken in three places, and two places on your right. Broken left ankle, sprained your right." He paused. "Right side of your face has second degree burns on it. Your hair had to be shaven off because it was too matted with blood. Your right knee was broken. You have five rib fractures, a broken collar bone, and a fractured nose." He sighed and looked at her in her eye. "But you're still the most beautiful sight I've seen in the last fifteen days." He gave her a turian smile, causing her to smile back.

"It's dawn," she whispered as she saw the sun fully rise on the horizon.

"A new day." He sighed. "Think we can cause trouble today?" he asked. Faith tried to stifle the yawn, but failed. His eyes softened. "Maybe later," he whispered.

"Yeah," she sighed.

* * *

**Location** : _Arcturus Station_

**Date** : _October 20, 2187_

"Today marks five months since the last Reaper was seen," came a voice over the station speakers. "Five months since, not just humanity, but all species came together as one to fight a common enemy. Today we set out a new way of living. This is where we begin planing our futures together, not separately; but together. We live together, fight together, and die together." In the midst of his speach onlookers watching through either holo-projectors or omni-tool news forums saw not just the four main Counsil members standing behind Admiral Hackett who was making the speech; but all Ambassadors to every species up there; including the first quorian and krogan ambassadors in years. It was a plain message. That this time around nobody was going to be left out of the comings and goings of the galaxy. This time around things would be different. This time around they'd work together in figuring out what was to come next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "After the Reaper War" series is going to be one or two chapters of one or more Mass Effect characters and their trials just after the war has ended. From the Krogan trying to find a way home, to whether or not the Geth survived and if the Reapers really are gone or are they just waiting for when the galaxy needs another "cleaning up" and the all important question is Cerberus really gone now that the Ilussive Man is dead.
> 
> More to come in the next chapter of this series...


End file.
